This invention relates generally to the field of wet plating, and more specifically, processing apparatus for manipulating the parts being processed, typically by electroplating.
Small parts are often electroplated and are typically manually inserted and removed from each one of a number of processing stations in a production line, each station facilitates use of a mating fixture having an perforated horizontally oriented rotating barrel or basket for supporting and tumbling the parts being electroplated in the plating electrolyte, A particular layer is electroplated on the parts at certain processing stations, and stations are also provided for cleaning, rinsing, other processing, and drying the parts. Typically, the stations utilize perforated rotating barrels or baskets submerged and horizontally positioned in the electrolytic plating solution, such barrels having covers or doors for preventing the parts from falling out of the barrels. These doors have caused problems including part trappage and jamming, door warpage and door clamp replacement. The apertures in the barrel walls permit replenishment of the plating solution, but the perforated barrel walls still present detrimental mechanical impedance to solution flow. Also, the perforated barrel walls block a clear line of sight between the anode and cathode which further impedes maximum plating efficiencies. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,823 to Lazaro et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,951 to Tscherwitschke et al. While Clayton, U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,258 mentions prior art tilted open-ended barrels in col. 1, this is in connection with mechanical plating processes. Mechanical plating involves mechanical transfer of metal from one part to another that is not relevant to and outside the scope of the present invention,
Further detrimental aspects of the aforesaid prior art electroplating apparatus can involve damage to the parts being plated due to insertion and removal of the parts to and from the barrels and wasted labor in performing these parts transfer steps. Typically, after wet processing, including rinsing, the parts are removed from the rotating barrels by being dumped into drying baskets to facilitate the drying of the parts before packing. Again, this handling of the parts increases labor costs and can result in further damage to the dumped parts.